Enrollment Planning Update

July 15, 2015

The Beach continues to be an attractive option for incoming students. CSULB topped at 96,468 student applications for fall 2015, exceeding last year by 2%. This is the most applications among the CSUs.

Freshman applications totaled 58,107, making CSULB one of the most popular schools in the nation.

Transfer applications totaled 28,092, which is 3% higher than last year.

Master’s/doctoral applications totaled 9,176, which is a 6% increase over last year.

The Beach continues to attract international students, too.

Undergraduate international student applications totaled 2,355, which is a 15% increase over last year.

Graduate international applications totaled 3,416, which is 8% over last year.

Fall 2015 Headcount

The FA15 headcount will be the largest since FA08, and FTES is the highest in CSULB’s history. The projected enrollment headcount for FA15 is about 37,500, with about 31,200 total full-time equivalent students (FTES). About 27,070 students will return as continuing students.

With exceptionally high enrollments we are making every effort to ensure we can accommodate all students with the classes needed for timely degree progress. At CSULB, graduation begins the first day a student steps on campus. Our dedicated faculty and staff are continuously innovating efficient pathways for timely graduation, reducing financial burden, securing internship and employment opportunities, and making The Beach experience, a life experience.

We remain acutely sensitive to issues surrounding enrollment growth. Class schedules Monday through Thursday between 9 am and 2:30 pm are extremely popular, hence the campus will be at capacity during these times. We are encouraging departments and colleges to make full use of the non-peak times to reduce congestion and increase access to classes.

Freshman Class

Freshmen enrollment is projected to be 4,500 for FA15, 3% higher than FA14. The number of students prepared for general-education level math is 77%, slightly lower than last year, and 80% are eligible for general-education level English, which is the highest in university history and 2% greater than last fall. Overall, the freshman class is one of the strongest we have admitted to date.

Transfer Students

The transfer enrollment is projected to be about 3,700 for FA15. The transfer pool of fully qualified applicants was incredibly strong. Ninety-two percent of our new transfers intents were fully qualified, meeting all of our major-specific requirements.

We begin the 2015-16 academic year building on six decades of student success. We are better prepared than ever before to meet the new challenges that lie ahead. Our priorities are strengthened and together we remain focused on making this year the best year.